Mark 15:34

34. For ἐγκατέλιπες, [3461] has the surprising reading ὠνίδισας: d, however, has dereliquisti. But c has exprobrasti, i has in opprobrium dedisti, k[3462] maledixisti. See Burkitt in J.T.S. I. p. 278; Nestle, p. 266.

[3461] Codex Bezae. 6th cent. Has a Latin translation (d) side by side with the Greek text, and the two do not quite always agree. Presented by Beza to the University Library of Cambridge in 1581. Remarkable for its frequent divergences from other texts. Contains Mark, except Mark 16:15-20, which has been added by a later hand. Photographic facsimile, 1899.

[3462] An asterisk denotes that the word is not found elsewhere in N.T., and such words are included in the index, even if there is no note on them in the commentary.

34. ἐβόησεν. Like the cry with which He expired, this utterance was a φωνὴ μεγάλη (Mark 15:37). It is the only Word from the Cross recorded by Mk and Mt., and in both Gospels it is given in the original Aramaic, but texts vary somewhat as to the transliteration. Whether Jesus uttered the first word in the Aramaic or the Hebraistic form is, as Dalman remarks, of little moment. “The latter appears to have the greater probability in its favour, as being the less natural in the Aramaic context. It is conceivable that, to secure greater uniformity, one copyist corrected ἠλεί to ἐλωεί, so that the whole should be Aramaic, while another changed λεμᾶ σεβαχθανεί into λαμᾶ [ἀ]ζαφθανεί, so as to have the whole in Hebrew” (Words, p. 54). Here [3523] has ἠλεί, and it would be easier for ἠλεί than ἐλωεί to be twisted into Ἠλείας. Allen thinks “it is difficult not to believe that Christ quoted the Psalm in Hebrew, Eli Eli lama azabhtani” (Studies in the Syn. Prob. p. 305). In that case the Aramaic form in Mk is given for the sake of those to whom Aramaic was more familiar than Hebrew. But even if ἐλωεί be original, there is no difficulty. It was not a case of accidental mishearing. The man, in derision, purposely misquoted the word which Christ had uttered. As to the next word we have λαμᾶ ([3524][3525] λεμᾶ ([3526][3527][3528][3529]), λιμᾶ ([3530][3531][3532][3533][3534][3535][3536]), and λειμᾶ ([3537][3538][3539][3540][3541][3542] as variants, and there are as many of σαβαχθανεί. But the asabtani in German Bibles has no MS. authority, any more than Bnehargem for “Boanerges” (Mark 3:17).

[3523] Codex Bezae. 6th cent. Has a Latin translation (d) side by side with the Greek text, and the two do not quite always agree. Presented by Beza to the University Library of Cambridge in 1581. Remarkable for its frequent divergences from other texts. Contains Mark, except Mark 16:15-20, which has been added by a later hand. Photographic facsimile, 1899.

[3524] Codex Vaticanus. 4th cent., but perhaps a little later than א. In the Vatican Library almost since its foundation by Pope Nicolas V., and one of its greatest treasures. The whole Gospel, ending at Mark 16:8. Photographic facsimile, 1889.

[3525] odex Bezae. 6th cent. Has a Latin translation (d) side by side with the Greek text, and the two do not quite always agree. Presented by Beza to the University Library of Cambridge in 1581. Remarkable for its frequent divergences from other texts. Contains Mark, except Mark 16:15-20, which has been added by a later hand. Photographic facsimile, 1899.

[3526] Codex Sinaiticus. 4th cent. Discovered by Tischendorf in 1859 at the Monastery of St Katharine on Mount Sinai. Now at St Petersburg. The whole Gospel, ending at Mark 16:8. Photographic facsimile, 1911.

[3527] Codex Ephraemi. 5th cent. A palimpsest: the original writing has been partially rubbed out, and the works of Ephraem the Syrian have been written over it; but a great deal of the original writing has been recovered; of Mark we have Mark 1:17 to Mark 6:31; Mark 8:5 to Mark 12:29; Mark 13:19 to Mark 16:20. In the National Library at Paris.

[3528] Codex Regius. 8th cent. An important witness. At Paris. Contains Mark 1:1 to Mark 10:15; Mark 10:30 to Mark 15:1; Mark 15:20 to Mark 16:20, but the shorter ending is inserted between Mark 16:8 and Mark 16:9, showing that the scribe preferred it to the longer one.

[3529] Codex Sangallensis. 9th or 10th cent. Contains the Gospels nearly complete, with an interlinear Latin translation. The text of Mark is specially good, agreeing often with CL. At St Gall.
[3530] Codex Alexandrinus. 5th cent. Brought by Cyril Lucar, Patriarch of Constantinople, from Alexandria, and afterwards presented by him to King Charles I. in 1628. In the British Museum. The whole Gospel. Photographic facsimile, 1879.
[3531] Codex Cyprius. 9th cent. One of the seven uncials which have the Gospels complete, the others being אBMSUΩ. At Paris.

[3532] Codex Campianus. 9th cent. At Paris. Gospels complete.

[3533] Codex Guelpherbytanus. 6th cent. Contains Mark 1:2-11; Mark 3:5-17; Mark 14:13-24; Mark 14:48-61; Mark 15:12-37.

[3534] Codex Monacensis. 10th cent. Contains Mark 6:47 to Mark 16:20. Many verses in 14, 15, 16 are defective.

[3535] Codex Oxoniensis. 9th cent. Contains Mark, except Mark 3:35 to Mark 6:20.

[3536] Codex Petropolitanus. 9th cent. Gospels almost complete. Mark 16:18-20 is in a later hand.

[3537] Codex Basiliensis. 8th cent. At Basle.

[3538] Codex Boreelianus. Once in the possession of John Boreel. 9th cent. At Utrecht. Contains Mk 1–41; Mark 2:8-23; Mark 3:5 to Mark 11:6; Mark 11:27 to Mark 14:54; Mark 15:6-39; Mark 16:19-20.

[3539] Codex Seidelianus I. 9th or 10th cent. Contains Mark 1:13 to Mark 14:18; Mark 14:25 to Mark 16:20.

[3540] Codex Seidelianus II. 9th or 10th cent. Contains Mark 1:1-31; Mark 2:4 to Mark 15:43; Mark 16:14-20.

[3541] Codex Vaticanus. 10th cent. Dated A.D. 949.
[3542] Codex Mosquensis. 9th cent.

Ὁ θεός μου. LXX. also has the nom. with the art. (see on Mark 15:29), while Mt. has Θεέ μου. In N.T. there is perhaps not much difference in tone between the two usages; cf. Mark 15:18. On the other hand, LXX. and Mt. have ἵνα τί, while Mk has εἰς τί. In Mk and Mt., though not in LXX., the μον is repeated; even in this time of apparent desertion, Christ recognizes God as His God. And both Mk and Mt. omit πρόσχες μοι, which is in LXX. but not in the Hebrew. The character of the cry is full guarantee for its historical truth. No Christian would have attributed such words to the Messiah, had He not uttered them. It is possibly because of their perplexing mystery that Lk. and Jn omit them, and that the Gospel of Peter changes them into ἡ δύναμίς μου ἡ δύναμις, κατέλειψάς με. This is one of the Docetic traits in that book, which treats the crucifixion as if it were devoid of suffering. There is a passage in the Testaments (Joseph ii. 4–7) which might serve as a moral drawn from this cry of mental agony. Οὐ γὰρ ἐγκαταλείπει Κύριος τοὺς φοβουμένους αὐτόν … Ἐν βραχεῖ� … Ὅτι μέγα φάρμακόν ἐστιν ἡ μακροθυμία, καὶ πολλὰ�. On the reading ὠνίδισας ([3543] for ἐγκατέλιπες see crit. note. In the Defence of Christianity generally attributed to Macarius Magnes (A.D. 400) “it is remarkable that the objector knew both ὠνείδισας and ἐγκατέλιπες and regarded them as distinct utterances” (Swete).

[3543] Codex Bezae. 6th cent. Has a Latin translation (d) side by side with the Greek text, and the two do not quite always agree. Presented by Beza to the University Library of Cambridge in 1581. Remarkable for its frequent divergences from other texts. Contains Mark, except Mark 16:15-20, which has been added by a later hand. Photographic facsimile, 1899.